Library of M. H. Susanne Matthews, Author

The Captain's Promise

Released On: June 2nd, 2014

Etienne Blouin left Danielle de Cherbourg in tears, promising to return; he didn't. Ten years later, Etienne learns she's been widowed and left almost penniless. Now a wealthy ship's captain, he offers to help her, but the only reply he gets is from her aunt telling him to leave Danielle alone. Convinced she's in trouble, he determines to rescue her whether she likes it or not, even if it means losing her love.

Danielle is shocked to learn that her companion is going to the colonies, while she is to marry a cruel and powerful man as repayment of her husband's gambling debts. Despondent, she sees no way out of the horrendous situation. When her carriage is waylaid and she's kidnapped, she fears the worse.

Etienne has enemies who don't want La Belle Rose to make port. Can he outfox them to save his ship and the woman he loves?

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September 15th, 2015 by
Melinda De Ross

S. Matthews’ first attempt at historical romance is a wonderful treat for all romance lovers. The story of Etienne and Danielle starts in seventeenth century France, with well-researched historical and political settings that artfully propel the reader into that era. The plot and all the additional adventures of the hero and heroine remind me of Balzac’s masterful writing, combined with some steamy but tasteful eroticism. The action is well-paced, with twists that keep the reader glued to the story, living each moment of passion, frustration, panic or desperate love. Every detail, every name is chosen carefully by the author to fit like puzzle pieces, giving us a glimpse of that long lost time, dominated by drama and intrigue, when a promise valued more than a man’s honor.
As all S. Matthews’ work, The Captain’s Promise is definitely a page-turner and similar to watching a great historical movie!

- Melinda De Ross

Echoes of the Past (Re-release)

Released On: September 3rd, 2015

Born Mohawk, raised white, forensic pathologist, Michelle Thomas is trapped between two worlds - this one and the spirit world where the ghosts of those who've drowned speak to her. Haunted by crippling nightmares of her own drowning death and erotic dreams of a phantom lover, she strives to make sense of her life. When two suspicious deaths occur at the Lake of the Mountain Resort, she's sent to investigate. She'll face the greatest challenge of her career when her past and her present collide. One of these men is her future, but which one - the rich and powerful Mayor Ron Davies, or Tony Steele, the hydrology professor who may be responsible for his students' deaths? Charged by the spirits of her Mohawk ancestors to atone for her previous sins by protecting Lake of the Gods, can Michelle solve the murders, save the sacred waters, and fulfil her destiny?

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September 15th, 2015 by
Melinda De Ross

Second chance love takes on a new dimension in the latest novel by author Susanne Matthews, where she weaves a story about reincarnation and long lasting love. Michelle and Tony dream of each other even before they meet in person, and that’s because their souls have mated more than two centuries ago. Now fate has deemed fit to bring them together again, but things are not as simple as they seem. They are both involved in a complicated murder investigation, which puts not only them in danger.
The story is fast-paced and has a good plot, well-developed and well-researched, with just the right amount of technical details to make it plausible, but keep it from being boring. And even though I would have liked more suspense, I would say it’s perfectly balanced. From all this author’s work, this book is my favorite so far!

- Melinda De Ross

Holiday Magic

Released On: September 26th, 2014

Seeing is believing, or is it?

Georgia Baxter loved everything about Christmas until she walked in on her fiance in bed with another woman. Wounded and heart sore, she canceled her Christmas Eve fantasy wedding and fled to New York City, leaving everything and everyone, including her twin sister, Eleni, behind.

Three years later, still hurting but knowing it's time to move on, she agrees to come home to help her sister, despite the fact she'll be doing so at a time of year she now associates only with pain and betrayal. Discovering she'll have to work closely with the man who shattered her dreams only makes things harder, especially when her body craves his touch.

Mark Anderson has no memory of his bachelor party other than waking up naked in the wrong woman's bed. He clings to the hope someday he can convince Georgia to give him a second chance, but until she's ready to listen, it won't happen. Discovering she's coming home to manage Holiday Magic for three months may be his lucky break.

Is there enough magic left in Christmas to help them overcome the past?

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September 15th, 2015 by
Melinda De Ross

S. Matthews’ “Holiday Magic” is, as the title hints, a story that will bring into your heart the unique magic of love. The story of Georgia and Mark begins in a pre-Christmas Philadelphia, among lovely decorations and artfully described settings, which make the feeling of magic even more potent. A story full of twists and turns, a story about love and chemistry, forgiveness and second chances, all wrapped up in the red bow of passion. A wonderful read for any time of the year, but especially worth savouring in a cozy winter night, along with a mug of hot cocoa…

- Melinda De Ross

The Perfect Choice

Released On: November 1st, 2014

All's fair in love and war... or is it?

Eleni Baxter has always been the impulsive twin requiring rescue from one scheme or another. Avoiding relationships because of trust issues, Eleni throws herself into her wedding and party fantasy firm, Holiday Magic. When her designs for a Halloween decorating scheme win her a shot at being the exclusive special events coordinator for the Ocean Front Casino Resort, she jumps at it, without reading the fine print. As always, twin sister Georgia comes to the rescue.

Reclusive millionaire casino owner Garth Joseph Smits Simmons has shunned publicity and gold-diggers for as long as he can remember, hiding behind a series of disguises to protect his identity. When beautiful, talented special events coordinator Eleni Baxter walks into his life, he's determined to find a way to make her fall in love with him without revealing his true identity. Designing a contract to hire her and keep her in close proximity for three months seems like a stroke of genius, but having a double life becomes more complicated than ever.

With the holiday season in full swing, Joe decides it's time to come clean, but will the magic of the holiday season be enough for Eleni to forgive him his deception, or will he lose it all on one throw of the dice?

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September 15th, 2015 by
Melinda De Ross

Just like the first book from this series, "The Perfect Choice" is a delightful story about love and attraction, choices and second chances. The story follows the budding love between Eleni and Joe, as they discover each other and meet on common ground, managing to overcome the obstacles standing in the way of their happily ever after. Another lovely read, as I had expected from Susanne Matthews!

- Melinda De Ross

All for Love

Released On: May 26th, 2015

To overcome your fear, you must first face it.

Someone is out to destroy Greg Robertson and everyone he has ever loved. After an accident leaves his teenage daughter depressed and distraught, Greg will do anything to make her happy again, including hiring a bodyguard to protect her.

Olivia Cummings lost both her fiance and her cousin in a deadly avalanche. She has vowed never to set foot on a ski hill again. But now, working as a bodyguard with Marshall Security, Olivia must face her greatest fears to save Greg and his daughter.

Something about Olivia's determination strikes a chord in Greg, but will she be the salvation he needs, or will he be her destruction?

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September 15th, 2015 by
Melinda De Ross

Although I was used to Susanne Matthews’s Romantic Suspense books, this one is an interesting change, which I enjoyed just as much. A cozy, inspiring story about courage, obstacles and love. It was interesting following the characters live through their fears and discover one another. I would recommend this feel good story to be read any time—before bedtime, on holiday, even on the subway on route to work.

- Melinda De Ross

Secrets and Lies - Hearts of Braden Book Four

Released On: November 17th, 2015

DEA agent Emily Shepherd is after the Chef, a crystal meth cook, who sets up labs for the Mexican cartel and walks away—the same man responsible for the deaths of her husband and unborn child. Her search leads her to Braden, Iowa, a small town just right for the Chef's specialty. But identifying her quarry won't be easy when she's up against a woman who sees her as a threat, a male chauvinistic deputy sheriff and an attractive school principal who might just be at the center of it all.

Jackson Harris has sworn off women. Life is satisfactory if lonely, until he meets a hazel-eyed damsel in distress who gets under his skin, and triggers that protective instinct of his. There's a killer in town, one who may or may not be a notorious drug lord. Finding him, and keeping his town, his students, and Emily safe, may be harder than he thinks.

Love is breaking out in Braden, Iowa. Follow all the romance with this collection of stories. Secrets and Lies is part of the Hearts of Braden Series, a multi-author series Secrets and Lies stands alone for your reading enjoyment, but the story doesn't need to end there.

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Come Home for Christmas

Released On: December 9th, 2015

This past year has been a miserable one for Krista Jacobs, and what's going to make it even worse is having to spend Christmas at Seven Oaks, the Alberta ranch that was her home until her uncle tossed her out on her ear before her nineteenth birthday. But Uncle Charles is gone and has left her something in his will—something she can only have if she spends Christmas at the ranch with Ethan Terrance, her step-cousin, and the man she'd hoped to marry ten years ago.

When Charles Terrance died, the last thing Ethan expected to discover was that not only had his dad sabotaged his relationship with Krista, he'd cheated her out of the inheritance that should've been hers ten years ago. Since Ethan's never been able to forget the woman he loved, he'll do whatever he has to in order to make things right—including having his lawyer send her a request she can't ignore. Krista has to come home for Christmas.

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Hello Again

Released On: May 11th, 2016

For Charley Winters love means loss and pain. She's spent the last five years struggling with her grief. Existing, not living. Drawn to Saskatchewan, she travels west take the job she's always wanted. But life gets complicated when she's rescued from a vicious tornado by her dead husband's double, a man who makes her feel things she hasn't in years. Add to that a native myth, a shaman, a green-eyed wolf, and her husband's ghost ... Can she lift a millennia old curse and find joy and love again?

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Desert Deception

Released On: November 18th, 2016

Seeing is believing, or is it?

When high-powered Santa Fe attorney Casey Stevens reluctantly returns to Fortune for Gold Rush Days, she is drawn to Cole Walker Junior, but he is no longer the shy, quiet boy she recalls. Then again, Cole isn't the only one who has changed. The town may be celebrating its past, but someone is trying to destroy its future. A hit and run accident leaves Fortune's only lawyer in a coma, forcing Casey to choose between helping innocent people and running away once more. Can she face the demons of her past or will they destroy her this time?

Cole Warner has a secret identity, one he's determined to protect at all costs. The police officer, volunteer firefighter, and part-time store owner, is also popular western novelist, CJ Coleson, who uses Fortune and its people as the inspiration for his books. Having Casey walk into his life turns it upside down. When someone starts using the murders in Cole's books to stage a killing spree of their own, keeping his secret may be too costly, but admitting the truth could ruin any chance they have for a happily ever after.

As the bodies pile up and the buildings burn down, Casey and Cole have to work together to stop a madman with gold fever before more people die. The answer lies on Superstition Mountain or is it all a desert deception?

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Prove It! (young adult suspense)

Released On: December 23rd, 2016

High school sports can be more dangerous than you think!

Ivy Hill's track star, Liam Howard, has his future all mapped out: date Hannah Connors, win the New Horizon scholarship, get a spot on the next Olympic team, and then go to medical school. Sounds simple, especially when he's well on his way to achieving his dream. But someone else has other plans. Ignoring the most recent threatening note, Liam goes out for his regular practice run and is struck by a vehicle and left for dead.

Hannah refuses to believe Liam will never walk or run again, especially when she learns the person behind the accident may be her own track coach. Working with Erik Jenkins, Liam's best friend, she searches for proof, but Erik vanishes on his way to see the coach. Now, it's up to her, Liam, and their friends, to find Erik and the evidence they need to put a hit and run driver behind bars. But time may be running out for both Erik and Liam as someone tries to finish the job they started, regardless of collateral damage.

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Sworn to Protect

Released On: June 10th, 2017

Four years ago, a car accident robbed Nancy Frost of her child and her mother, taking what was left of her marriage with it in the process. A forensic accountant, she agrees to look at a company's books in a divorce case, trying to find hidden assets, but her meeting with the lawyer goes terribly wrong when the restaurant is attacked.

The moment US Marshal Neil Copeland discovers his wife has been shot in a Baltimore restaurant, he rushes to her side, determined not to let her down again. As the police investigate, evidence suggests the attack was a ploy to hide a specific hit. When a professional assassin tries to kill Nancy a second time, it's clear that she was the target and whatever's going on is a lot more complicated than they think.

When Nancy awakes after a month in an induced coma, not only does she not remember the attack on the restaurant, she doesn't remember marrying Neil.

Faced with the challenge of protecting his wife from a powerful, faceless enemy, Neil must bring her up to date, dredging up all the sorrow that tore them apart in the first place, hoping something will jar her memory.

As he races against time, can he save her from an unknown assassin and convince her to give the love they once had a second chance?

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No Good Deed

Released On: July 31st, 2017

Psychological chills and thrills are woven around a heartwarming love story in this action-packed romantic suspense novel.

Escaping from her abusive fiance, Alexa O'Brien pulls into a gas station only to walk in on an execution. She's in protective custody until she can identify Nicoli Zabat, Montreal's mob boss, at his trial. But her safe house has been compromised, setting in motion a dangerous cat-and-mouse game.

Lieutenant Mike Delorme on the Surete Du Quebec has spent the last eighteen months undercover in narcotics to take down Zabat, the man he blames for the death of his wife and unborn child. He doesn't have the interest or patience to babysit a woman whose memory isn't clear - but he'll carry out his assignment to show the brass he's a team player.

As Mike and Alexa dodge danger, it appears she's in deeper than merely being in the wrong place at the wrong time. When the mafia hit she witnessed is revealed to be just the tip of an international terrorist's plot, they must rely on each other to survive - but only if they can learn to trust their instincts and let love map out their next move.

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Wedding Bell Blues

Released On: January 15th, 2018

Romance, mermaids, cursed treasure and more.

MJ's having a bad year. She's canceled her wedding, but refuses to give up the honeymoon. When she arrives on Paradise Island, she discovers her ex has changed the reservation. Stranded, she has to rely on her first love, a man who sees her as his kid sister, for help. When Paul discovers the man behind her plight is the bully who made his own teen years hell, he gets MJ to agree to pretend to be his fiancee. Reluctantly, she agrees. Add in mermaids, treasure hunters, and Quimbois magic, and anything can happen-even falling in love.

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The Price of Honor

Released On: March 29th, 2018

What is the price of honor? For Isabelle de Caen Gaudier, it's disobeying the king, leaving her home, and giving up her identity.

When King Louis orders Isabelle to marry the Chevalier d'Angrignon, she's appalled. There is no way she can obey and wed the man she believes may be involved in her husband's murder and her father's poisoning. Add to that, the monster may be paving his way to the throne of France for the children she'll bear him by killing all those ahead of her in line, something she can't allow. For the sake of her honor, Isabelle de Caen must die.

Hoping everyone will believe she drowned in the millpond, Isabelle disguises herself and sneaks aboard the ship taking her beloved cousin Sophie to the New World. That's where the charge of treason against her husband originated, and that's where Isabelle hopes to find the answers to clear his name and implicate the chevalier. But her plans threaten to fail when Guy Poirier, an old friend and her first love, finds her hiding under his bed.

Guy knows Pierre Gaudier isn't a traitor. The man was on an errand for the governor-general of New France, bringing him critical information, but he was killed before he could deliver it. Someone doesn't want the king to know what's really happening in the colony. When Guy finds Isabelle hiding under his bed, he jumps at the chance to help the woman he's always loved and clear his friend's name, and if Isabelle can some day return his affections, that would be the best reward he could get.

But things are far more complicated than either of them suspects. After examining information found aboard a vessel attacked possibly by pirates and a wampum belt pointing to an alliance between the Iroquois Confederacy and tribes to the south, Guy fears for the lives of all those in the colony. There's more than one conspiracy afoot, and with Isabelle at his side, he seeks to find the men behind it all to save not only the woman he loves, but the place he now calls home.

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Vengeance is Mine Series Book 1 - On His Watch

Released On: May 15th, 2018

On leave from the FBI, Special Agent Jason Spark is enjoying some welcome peace and quiet when he’s called on to help the local sheriff’s department check out a 911 call. Expecting a prank or misdial, he unwittingly steps into a horrifying bloodbath straight out of a Hollywood slasher movie, complete with clues scrawled on the wall.

Nikki Hart’s husband and son are killed, but she survives, badly beaten and barely clinging to life in a coma. When she awakens, she doesn’t know her name, recognize her face, or remember anything about herself and her past. Terrified, and unsure of whom to trust, she clings to the memory of the angel who comforted her in her darkest moments.

The investigation turns up a prime suspect: The Butcher, an elusive hired assassin for the Sicilian mob. As the news of Nikki’s recovery spreads, putting her in this ruthless killer’s sights again, Jason will do whatever it takes to protect the woman he’s learning to love.

Nikki’s beginning to believe Jason might be the angel who protected her in her dreams. But when she learns about the secret role he played in the worst day of her life, can she ever forgive him?

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Murder & Mistletoe

Released On: November 21st, 2018

Going home for Christmas can be deadly.

Candy Kayne agrees to go to Black Oaks, the Georgia plantation her ancestor reluctantly left after the Civil War, to meet the family she's never known and help Steve set a trap for his wife's killer. Even the wildest tales have a kernel of truth in them and as she learns more about the family's history, she realizes that coming here may have been the biggest mistake of her life.

Losing Amy almost destroyed Steve Anderson, but when Candy steps into his life, her sweetness chases the dark gloom away. But when he realizes the man who murdered his wife may have set his sights on Candy, he'll do whatever he has to in order to keep her safe.

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Vengeance is Mine Series Book 2 - Fire Angel

Released On: June 6th, 2018

Criminal profiler Jake McKenzie returned from Afghanistan minus a leg, determined never to let anyone get close enough to hurt him again. When his old friend asks him to help with a serial arsonist case, he jumps at the chance to prove his worth, but as the bodies pile up, he realizes he needs help. He convinces the chief to bring in a fire investigator, stunned to discover that the woman is none other than the girl who vanished from his life twenty years ago.

Alexis Michaels fled Paradise and an abusive uncle only to almost die in a fire that left her scarred not only on the outside, but on the inside, leaving her with psychic abilities. With that gift, she’s climbed to the top of her profession. Her abilities may be the only thing that can find and stop the Fire Angel, a pyromaniac turned revenge arsonist serial killer who’s slowly turning a peaceful town into Hell on Earth. The problem is, to do the job, she has to return to the one place where she swore she would never set foot again.

Faced with confusing emotions and a killer who’s made it clear he wants her to stay out of his business, Alexis must deal with the past before she can move on. But things may get too hot even for her as the Fire Angel moves toward the final act in his revenge drama.

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Vengeance is Mine Series Book 3 - In Plain Site

Released On: June 28th, 2018

Widowed, her dream of starring on Broadway in ashes at her feet, Misty Starr yearns for a happy, healthy, normal life for herself and her four-year-old daughter, Debbie. Settled in Pine Falls, New York, a sleepy little town filled with friendly people, she believes she’s found it and feels safe enough to sing in an amateur theater revival of Jesus Christ Superstar. She’ll do anything to keep this life even if it is built on lies, because revealing her secret is impossible. When Nick Anthony joins the cast as music director, Misty is attracted to the man who stirs up feelings she thought long dead, but can love grow on a bed of deceit?

A former concert pianist and secret CIA courier, Nick lives in darkness ever since the accident that killed his wife. The doctors say there’s nothing wrong with his vision, so why can’t he see? Hiding from his former life, he reluctantly agrees to help with the musical and is drawn to the young singer with the voice of an angel. When a mysterious fire destroys her home, Nick vows to keep her and her daughter safe. After one suspicious event leads to another, Nick is determined to protect them from an unknown assassin, but in order to do that, he needs to know her secrets. With his money and connections, he’ll do whatever it takes to save the woman he loves, but does she love him enough to reveal the truth?

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Same Time Next Year

Released On: August 1st, 2018

A novel within a novel.

For three short weeks, Twyla Lancaster was the fairy tale princess who'd found her prince, but just like that, reality ripped them apart. Now, fifty years later, she needs to know why the only man she ever loved broke his promises. As she writes her memoir and learns more about that summer, she realizes things were not what they seemed.

Hormones raced, promises were made, but Twyla left Michael Morrison high and dry, and within weeks, married someone else. Grieving the loss of his parents and her betrayal, he turned his back on love, focusing on his military career. Now, goaded by his sister, he agrees to attend a wedding and reunion, knowing Twyla will be there. It's time to find out why she lied to him all those years ago.

The moment the star-crossed lovers see one another, love blooms between them, but when Michael discovers Twyla's secret, he's devastated. Is love enough to erase fifty years of pain and betrayal?